Instant outrage, instant fallout — digital diplomacy

A viral tweet by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an international incident between Israel and Mexico, and a letter by Trudeau’s director of communications to the co-president of Fox News.

From a distance, these three things have nothing in common, other than the fact that they shared airtime during last week’s news cycle. On closer inspection, however, together they mark a turning point for digital diplomacy in the era of President Donald Trump.

‘Digital diplomacy’ has become a buzzword for governments, NGOs and institutions around the world. At a basic level, it refers to the way the internet has been used to engage with foreign governments, stakeholders and the public.

It was 23 years ago, on February 4, 1994, that Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and U.S. President Bill Clinton became the first heads of government in history to exchange emails. But it was not until social media came along some ten years later that new channels of communications became hotbeds for the transmission of messages by governments to wider audiences both within and beyond their borders.

It was not long before foreign ministries, embassies, heads of state and diplomats signed up for their own Twitter handles and Facebook accounts. Like Hollywood celebrities, some leaders now count their Twitter followers in the hundreds of thousands, even the millions. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s account has nearly 600,000 followers, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has about 264,000, and Prime Minister Trudeau boasts 2.8 million.

But when you look at how many people these leaders are following themselves — 952 for Trudeau, 16 for Putin and just six for Khamenei — you get a clearer sense of how these tools are being used.

For the most part, government leaders and state institutions have used social media as a tool for top-down dissemination. Whether they’re tweeting an ad for a cultural event or posting an infographic about incursions by a hostile country into a foreign territory, the motive has been to broadcast messages and opinions — with little expectation of actual engagement.

Heads of government have been relatively immune to having to defend what they post. President Trump’s Twitter activity has changed that.

Other than a few exceptions (Sweden has been experimenting with such innovations as handing over its Twitter account for its own citizens to manage), digital diplomacy has been a one-way channel.

Donald Trump has changed things. Trump does not simply use Twitter to support his announcements; rather, Twitter is often his primary vehicle of communication. This is drawing added attention to what was once seen as a supplementary communications tool. In fact, there are reports that some foreign governments, including South Korea, have appointed special officers tasked with nothing but monitoring Trump’s @POTUS and @realDonaldTrump accounts.

Diplomats have long been careful about what they post on Twitter; embassy accounts often delete controversial posts and ambassadors have even been dismissed for politically incorrect messages. But heads of government have been relatively immune to having to defend what they post. President Trump’s Twitter activity has changed that — by increasing sensitivity to what is or isn’t said over social media. All of this has caused a ripple effect on digital diplomacy.

Last week, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that President Trump’s proposed border wall was a good idea because Israel has had great success in stopping illegal migrants with its own wall along its southern border, he did not expect this message to hinder ties between Jerusalem and Mexico City. But Israeli President Reuven Rivlin had to be immediately called into action to explain to his Mexican counterpart that the whole thing was a misunderstanding, while Netanyahu had to state that his tweet was not directly related to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Meanwhile, in Canada, we’re also seeing the effects of increased sensitivity to Twitter diplomacy. Prime Minister Trudeau’s response to President Trump’s refugee policies — a tweet about Canadian diversity with the hashtag #WelcomeToCanada — quickly went viral, hitting over 427,000 retweets and nearly 770,000 likes. However, when it became clear later in the week that Canada would not accept asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S. border, Trudeau faced a barrage of public and media criticism.

This Twitter sensitivity also went the other direction. Later in the week, Trudeau’s Director of Communications Kate Purchase sent a letter of grievance to Bill Shine, the co-president of Fox News, for not taking down a tweet that noted reports that a suspect in the deadly attack on a Quebec City mosque was of Moroccan origin.

On their own, these incidents may seem like just another part of the 24/7 news cycle. Collectively, however, they point to a growing trend in digital diplomacy. In the Trump age, as Twitter and social media become primary vehicles of communication, no one — not even the most powerful individuals in the world — gets a pass.

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